“Pencil” is a signifier, evoking the signified connotations of graphite lead, of writing, of academic assignments and deadlines in the minds of numerous scholars and students. Thus it becomes a sign bearing meanings of stress, anxiety, and/or aggravation. Personally, I rebel from the dreadful associations with this writing tool; I consider the pencil to be my constant ally and most trusted instrument toward unleashing my artistic potential. Pencil, as my writing implement of choice, is my favorite art medium. The smooth ribboning of the graphite across thick canvas paper transforms into an original aesthetic creation. My imagination takes palpable form across the formerly blank page, spawned from the 7’ 3/8 inch utensil held tightly in my right hand. I won’t claim to be an expert in any particular field, but drawing is a pastime that I hold dear in my heart and have been acquainted with throughout my entire life.
There is not pinpoint time in which I realized I had an appreciation for art. I suppose my artistic talent is a result of my upbringing by my mother, an avid opposer to conformity and a self-sufficient artist. Each wall in my house is covered with elaborate murals or filled with the framed masterpieces of well-known art experts. Even my nursery was hand-painted as an underwater scene complete with sea creatures and extravagant mermaids. She emphasized the importance of art and how it influenced her life. I gradually came to accept the same philosophy, drawing on any paper placed in front of me.
As a child I exerted an exceptional amount of concentration on the details of school art projects. My perfectionist tendencies hereby began to emerge in my art work and never left me. Color-by-number worksheets were hour-long endeavors. Through my school years I discovered my preference for the medium of pencil, as I usually had one on me for academic purposes. The margins of all my homework papers would be littered with doodles and sketches, much to the dismay of some of my elementary school teachers who found this habit distracting. They did however respect my creativity, reporting to my parents at school conferences how imaginative a child I was. Inspired by their words, my pencil became an extension of my hand, endowing me with the ability to sketch out the workings of my mind onto a two-dimensional surface. The soft gray lead was so easily manipulated with the touch of an eraser or the careful smudging of my fingers, enticing me to master techniques to improve the overall quality of my drawings.
The majority of my experience with drawing is self-taught trial and error. I learned to train my eye to meticulously observe my subject and replicate its features onto my blank canvas. There are more elements to being an artist than there appears; having concentrated on drawing portraits as my concentration in Advanced Placement Art in high school, I have gained a better appreciation for each individual’s appearance and how different we all are even though we are made of the same components. With my artist’s eye, I am more observant towards small details and have strengthened my memory to draw from my mind rather than from a reference photo. Through my experience with art, I have come to realize that my main interest lies in the realm of realism, and hopefully someday, with practice, hyperrealism (a genre of art in which pieces resemble high-resolution photographs). Each art piece I complete fills me with a sense of unexplainable satisfaction. I am left with a tangible testament of my effort and skill that acts as a silent display of my artistic capabilities.
As an education major, I cannot stress enough the importance of art in a school setting. Too often the arts and music are put on the back burner when school administrations consider educational priorities. However, the arts contribute to making more well-rounded students and inspiring innovative thinking. For these reasons I hope to pursue illustration as a minor and incorporate this important field of study into my future lesson plans. Some of my most memorable school projects have been those that not only effectively teach the curriculum but also allow students to express their imaginative sides. I aspire to be the kind of teacher who encourages her students to explore their different abilities in exciting and unconventional ways. I know I would not have had the same accomplishments and successes in my scholastic career if the world of art and academia had not been combined. I think it is important for everyone to have a creative outlet and I could not find a better way to express mine than in the form of pencil art.
There is not pinpoint time in which I realized I had an appreciation for art. I suppose my artistic talent is a result of my upbringing by my mother, an avid opposer to conformity and a self-sufficient artist. Each wall in my house is covered with elaborate murals or filled with the framed masterpieces of well-known art experts. Even my nursery was hand-painted as an underwater scene complete with sea creatures and extravagant mermaids. She emphasized the importance of art and how it influenced her life. I gradually came to accept the same philosophy, drawing on any paper placed in front of me.
As a child I exerted an exceptional amount of concentration on the details of school art projects. My perfectionist tendencies hereby began to emerge in my art work and never left me. Color-by-number worksheets were hour-long endeavors. Through my school years I discovered my preference for the medium of pencil, as I usually had one on me for academic purposes. The margins of all my homework papers would be littered with doodles and sketches, much to the dismay of some of my elementary school teachers who found this habit distracting. They did however respect my creativity, reporting to my parents at school conferences how imaginative a child I was. Inspired by their words, my pencil became an extension of my hand, endowing me with the ability to sketch out the workings of my mind onto a two-dimensional surface. The soft gray lead was so easily manipulated with the touch of an eraser or the careful smudging of my fingers, enticing me to master techniques to improve the overall quality of my drawings.
The majority of my experience with drawing is self-taught trial and error. I learned to train my eye to meticulously observe my subject and replicate its features onto my blank canvas. There are more elements to being an artist than there appears; having concentrated on drawing portraits as my concentration in Advanced Placement Art in high school, I have gained a better appreciation for each individual’s appearance and how different we all are even though we are made of the same components. With my artist’s eye, I am more observant towards small details and have strengthened my memory to draw from my mind rather than from a reference photo. Through my experience with art, I have come to realize that my main interest lies in the realm of realism, and hopefully someday, with practice, hyperrealism (a genre of art in which pieces resemble high-resolution photographs). Each art piece I complete fills me with a sense of unexplainable satisfaction. I am left with a tangible testament of my effort and skill that acts as a silent display of my artistic capabilities.
As an education major, I cannot stress enough the importance of art in a school setting. Too often the arts and music are put on the back burner when school administrations consider educational priorities. However, the arts contribute to making more well-rounded students and inspiring innovative thinking. For these reasons I hope to pursue illustration as a minor and incorporate this important field of study into my future lesson plans. Some of my most memorable school projects have been those that not only effectively teach the curriculum but also allow students to express their imaginative sides. I aspire to be the kind of teacher who encourages her students to explore their different abilities in exciting and unconventional ways. I know I would not have had the same accomplishments and successes in my scholastic career if the world of art and academia had not been combined. I think it is important for everyone to have a creative outlet and I could not find a better way to express mine than in the form of pencil art.